By Zahid Ahmad

A strange crisis is taking hold everywhere. People stay connected through apps, reels, chats, and group messages, and many still feel emotionally adrift. Kashmir feels this change even more strongly.

The valley grew around social closeness, neighbourly affection, tea-stall friendships, and long conversations on rooftops or by shopfronts.

Daily life carried an easy sense of community. Digital routines have altered this foundation and pushed many into a sense of isolation that is hard to explain but easy to feel.

Kashmir once built friendships on street corners, fields, and long evening walks in neighbourhoods. These spaces still exist, though they now compete with the glow of phones.

Young people scroll for hours, driven by habit or the need to escape a heavy day. Groups of friends sit together in cafes or on campus lawns while each drifts into a different digital bubble.

A teenager refreshing Instagram or a college student searching for likes has become a familiar image. These scenes capture........

© Kashmir Observer